by Anybody following the NFL knows about the current legal woes of Ray Rice. Hell, even those that don’t follow the NFL probably have seen the video released last week (by TMZ) where the running back knocked his (now) wife out in an elevator and drug her out into the lobby. It’s horrendous to watch, but the prologue is just as bad. Rice was present during many interviews with her, and it now appears the Ravens assisted in covering up details to the incident.
Incidents like this happen all the time, but it’s not in public usually. Many times, these women do not report the incident. It happens again.
She (2014) takes us into a private world of an abusive relationship. It is one of appearance, animosity, and revenge. It is also gory, and it will leave you cringing during its final scenes. The production value is high, the acting is top notch, and directors Chelsey Burdon and Mark Vessey beautifully capture the carnage that takes place.
The short film run a mere 14 minutes, and is currently making its festival tour. We first heard about it in January, and I was lucky enough to track down the directors and cast for some quotes. Recently, She premiered at London’s Film4 Frightfest to a packed house. She stars Fiona Dourif (Curse of Chucky and the upcoming Fear Clinic) and Phillip James as the victims of their own doing.
While the film shines and tells quite a cohesive story despite having the actors utter maybe 1-2 lines, the special effects are just awesome. Look, we all like gore as horror fans. But, many times, the gore comes with too much blood that forms a not so realistic result. Between the subject matter at hand and the close up shots we are given, I was shifting a few times in my seat with uneasiness. Both Dourif and James do great jobs looking annoyed with each other, and the directors do a wonderful job capturing these unspoken moments. There is no interaction with the outside world: They’ve retreated as far back from the world as they can. But a cornered animal can only be pushed so far before it turns, and when this film turns…wow.
She is currently making its festival run, and is scheduled to show at next month’s Grimm Up North next month. If you’re a fan of gore, you’ll like this one a lot. If you aren’t, well, just look away in the few minutes. It’s worth a watch either way. You can follow She on Twitter at @SHEshortfilm or on Facebook (/SHEshortfilm) for upcoming news and screenings.
